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     Lagos State Government has produced solar-powered kiosks that would ensure easy and effective market access for farmers, agripreneurs and stakeholders in an eco-friendly manner. The State Acting Commissioner for Agriculture, Ms. Abisola Olusanya, who made this known over the weekend while on an inspection tour of the Ministry’s facilities at Oko-Oba, Agege, noted that the kiosks would be distributed at next Value Chain Empowerment Programme of the State Government later this month. She explained that the solar-powered kiosk is a self-functioning system which not only produces its own energy but also, additional energy to charge other products, making it essentially environmental friendly. According to her, the solar-powered kiosk was the brainchild of the World Bank Assisted Agro-Processing, Productivity Enhancement and Livelihood Improvement Support (APPEALS) Project whose core interventions are food security, agro-export potentials and livelihood improvement...

     COVID-19 Update by the Incident Commander, Governor Babajide Sanwo-Olu Good people of Lagos, Today, 45  # COVID19Lagos  patients; 18 females and 27 males including 4 foreign nationals were discharged from our Isolation facilities to reunite with the society. The patients; 19 from Eti-Osa (LandMark) 11 from Onikan and 15 from LUTH Isolation Centres were discharged after full recovery and testing negative to COVID19. This brings to 1740, the number of  # COVID19  confirmed cases that have been successfully managed and discharged from our isolation facilities. Remember, it is now a criminal offence in Lagos State to go out without using a facemask. Let's continue to adhere strictly to all public advisories given by government  # ForACOVID19FreeLagos Babajide Olusola Sanwo-Olu July 5, 2020. One more photo below.

     July 5, 2020 Press Statement PDP Inaugurates Edo Governorship National Campaign Council Tuesday...Members To Join By Zoom The Peoples Democratic Party (PDP) will, on Tuesday, inaugurate its National Campaign Council for the Edo state governorship election with the larger members of the committee participating on Zoom. This is in compliance with COVID-19 protocol on social and physical distancing at public gathering. However, the Chairman, Deputy Chairman and the Secretary of the Campaign Council will be physically present for the event slated for Tuesday at 1:00pm alongside the National Chairman of our party, the governors of our party, members of the National Working Committee (NWC) as well as Board of Trustees (BOT) members who are also members of the campaign council and are available in Abuja. Also, the members of the Campaign Council, who are currently in Abuja, are also expected at the venue of the inauguration. Members of the campaign council...

     PRESS STATEMENT MINISTER OF STATE FOR PETROLEUM RESCOURCES AND CHAIRMAN NCDMB GOVERNING COUNCIL. The Governing Council of the Nigerian Content Development and Monitoring Board (NCDMB) has approved the expansion of the Nigerian Content Intervention Fund from US$200 million to US$350 million. The enlargement of the Fund by US$150 million was part of the decisions taken at the recent NCDMB Governing Council meeting, which held virtually on June 16, 2020. The meeting was chaired by the Minister of State for Petroleum Resources, Chief Timipre Sylva, who is the Chairman of the Council. The Council approved that US$100 million from the additional funds would be deployed to boost the five existing loan products of the NCI Fund, which include manufacturing, asset acquisition, contract finance, loan refinancing and community contractor financing. Similarly, the Council also approved that US$20 million and US$30 million respectively should be deployed to two newly ...

     July 5, 2020 By Simon Utebor, Yenagoa and Linus Oota, Lafia A foundation run by former President Goodluck Jonathan has donated different items including foodstuffs to 20 states in the country in its ongoing distribution of palliatives to cushion the effects of the coronavirus pandemic. The organisation, christened Goodluck Jonathan Foundation, said efforts were underway to ensure that other states benefit from the donations. Head of Bayelsa office of the foundation, Ms Gloria Dede, made this known yesterday in Yenagoa, Bayelsa State capital, while presenting some items to the Bayelsa State Government. According to her, the gesture is to complement the COVID-19 response efforts of the various state governments. Dede said: “Food items such as rice and beans, hand sanitisers and other sanitary materials have been donated to Internally Displaced Persons (IDP) camps in the Federal Capital Territory, Abuja, and 20 other states. She mentioned some of the states that had...

     5th July, 2020 NMA CRS/SG/2020/07/254 Honorable Minister of Health Federal Republic of Nigeria FCT, Abuja Dear Sir, NOTICE OF WITHDRAWAL OF MEDICAL SERVICES The Nigerian Medical Association Cross River State branch held an Emergency General Meeting on Sunday, July 5, 2020 to deliberate on the current issues of COVID-19 testing, surveillance, contact tracing, isolation, treatment and care in the State. The following observations and resolutions were made: 1) The Association deeply appreciates the efforts of the Federal Ministry of Health through the Nigeria Centre for Disease Control and Prevention (NCDC) in declaring University of Calabar Teaching Hospital an Independent Test Centre and the eventual activation of University of Calabar Teaching Hospital Molecular Laboratory and Dr. Lawrence Henshaw Memorial Hospital Calabar for COVID-19 PCR Testing. We sincerely thank them for this. 2) The Association demands explanation from NCDC, why, the five (5) CO...

     For the second time, Plateau State Governor Simon Bako Lalong, members of his family and immediate staff have tested negative to the Corona virus. This follows another test conducted on the Governor and his household as a result of the recent cases recorded within his cabinet when a Commissioner and his Chief of Staff tested positive. This necessitated the Governor and members of his family to subject  themselves to another test on 4th July, 2020 having conducted the test in April 2020 which all turned out negative. Reacting to the development, Governor Lalong said “I have continued to encourage people to subject themselves to Covid-19 test which is very important for us to determine the magnitude of the disease and level of the spread in order to curb further spread and treat people before they get to critical stages. Submitting myself and family to another test was therefore necessary as part of leadership by example and also responding to the recent cases o...

       A boat mishap has occurred this afternoon along River Benue at Kwaghter axis. The boat, was said to have had twenty eight people on board carrying Christian faithful to an annual Convention when it capsized, with no survivor. At the time of filing this report, only one corpse was found.More details later.

     In continuation of his commitment to efficiency and improved productivity in the Federal Road Safety Corps (FRSC), the Corps Marshal, Dr Boboye Oyeyemi has approved immediate redeployments of some senior officers of the Corps. Among those affected are one (1) Deputy Corps Marshal (DCM) and six (6) Assistant Corps Marshals (ACM). According to the statement issued by the Corps Public Educ ation Officer, Bisi Kazeem on Sunday, those affected are; DCM Hyginus Z Fomsuk, formerly the Assistant Corps Marshal in charge of Command Administration and Strategy at the FRSC National Headwaters Abuja who was recently appointed to the new rank is to assume the new position as Deputy Corps Marshal in charge of Special Duties and External Relations. In the same vein, the erstwhile Zonal Commanding Officer, Zone RS10HQ Sokoto, ACM Kayode Olagunju is to take over in the same position at RS4HQ Jos while ACM Jonas Agu takes over as the new Zonal Commanding Officer, Zone RS7HQ Abuja. ...

     An Indian man said he paid about US$4,000 for a gold face mask to protect him from the coronavirus raging in the country. The precious metal covering weighs 60 grammes (two ounces) and took craftsmen eight days to make, said businessman Shankar Kurhade, from the western city of Pune. “It is a thin mask and has tiny pores that is helping me to breathe,” Shankar said. “I am not sure if it will be effective to protect me from a coronavirus infection but I am taking other precautions,” he added. When going out, the 49-year-old said he likes to adorn himself with gold jewellery weighing a kilogram, including a bracelet, necklace and rings on each finger of his right hand. Kurhade – whose company makes industrial sheds – said he got the idea for the gold face mask after seeing a media report about a man wearing one made from silver. “People are asking me for selfies,” he said. “They are awestruck when they see me wear...

      Ogun State government has said it will not hesitate to demolish houses and structures obstructing waterways in the state. The state’s Commissioner for Environment, Hon. Abiodun Abudu-Balogun, who spoke on Sunday during the inspection of areas affected by flooding in Abeokuta, urged people living along river channels to relocate to safer places. A torrential downpour, which lasted about 16 hours on Saturday, wreaked havoc and submerged houses, shops, vehicles and goods, among others, in Abeokuta, leaving many residents to count their losses. Some of the areas affected within the Abeokuta metropolis include Kuto, Isale-Igbein, Lanfewa, Amolaso, Ijeun-Titun, Ago-Ijesa, Abiola Way, Isale Abetu, Sokori, Igbore, Oke-Mosan, Isale Ake and Adigbe. Speaking after assessing the places ravaged by the flood, Abudu-Balogun identified human activities such as indiscriminate dumping of refuse on waterways, as a major factor responsible for the flooding. The commissioner...

      The attention of the Nigerian Air Force (NAF) has been drawn to publications in some media insinuating that the Chief of the Air Staff (CAS), Air Marshal Sadique Abubakar, during a recent operational visit to the Headquarters of the Air Task Force (ATF) of Operation LAFIYA DOLE, Maiduguri on 4 July 2020, promised that the NAF would “end the war on Boko Haram by the end of the Year 2020”. The N AF wishes to state that the above attributed statement is not a true reflection of what the CAS actually said and therefore constitutes a misrepresentation; hence the need for this clarification. For the benefit of the general public, it must be noted that the CAS, in saying that “.... very soon, at least before the end of the year, we should be rounding up this operation or latest by the end of this year. So work towards that and be rest assured that the Nigerian Air Force will support you”, never suggested that the ATF would single-handedly end the war on Boko Haram. Ins...

      Pix 147, 146 &145 show the Flood Intervention Abatement Gang of the Office of Drainage Services (EFAG) working and clearing the outflow from Signal Barracks Collector, Mile 2 and Festac Channel that have resulted in flooding of Mile 2 Bus stop on the Lagos Badagry Expressway on Sunday. Pix 144 shows operatives of the Emergency Flood Abatement Gang (EFAG) deploying a backhoe to excavate refuse from a collector dra in blocked with refuse in Mile 2 area as part of efforts to ease flooding of Mile 2 Bus stop on the Lagos Badagry Expressway on Sunday.More photos below.

        It is evident from recent encounters with Boko Haram/Islamic State's West African Province that the resilience of the troops of Operation LAFIYA DOLE is being sustained across the NE Theater of operation resulting to high Boko Haram/ISWAP casualties on both men and equipment on the part of the criminal terrorist elements as well as the capture or surrendering of some of their fighters. In their resolve to end Boko Haram/Islamic States’ West Africa Province's menace in the North East region, between 1 – 30 June 2020, the gallant troops of Operation LAFIYA DOLE had a total of 17 encounters with the marauding criminals, neutralizing 75 of them in the process. The encounters also led to the capture of assorted arms and large cache of ammunition including one Anti-Aircraft Gun, 13 AK 47 Rifles, one Sniper Rifle, 21 locally made guns, 2 Dane guns and one Rocket Propelled Gun. Others include 3 Hand Grenades, 5 Rocket Propelled Gun bombs, 205 rounds of Anti-Aircraft...

   ZAMFARA STATE GOVT HOUSE      Governor Bello Mohammed (Matawallen Maradun) has said that negotiating with bandits is the best option to lasting peace just as he has no regrets exerting efforts of his administration on that path. Governor Matawalle made this essertion in the wake of opinions being expressed as to the efficacy of the method in solving the lingering peace challenges in the North-West. "We appllied the peace accord as a means of honest solution to the problem in Zamfara state which has yielded tremendous result never expected in the last one year", Matawalle observed. He said that amidst heavy presence of the Military and relentless offensives against the bandits at the wake of his administration, the wanton killings and maiming by bandits was still increasing in a fearful proportion. "However, our honesty and focus in the deal saw the near total drop in banditry attacks which allowed our roads, markets, schools and farms to be re-opene...

     The Chairman of the Nigeria Medical Association (NMA) in Nasarawa State, Dr Bulus Peter, has tested positive for coronavirus (COVID-19). Dr Bulus confirmed his health status to Channels Television on Saturday. He said he developed some symptoms of the disease as a result of his fieldwork activities of attending to COVID-19 patients at the isolation centre in Lafia, the state capital. The NMA chairman, however, noted that he was already receiving treatment at an isolated part of his home and was responding to treatment. “It is confirmed by the result from the Nigeria Centre for Disease Control (NCDC) that I have contracted COVID-19, but I am now responding to treatment,” he stated. Dr Bulus added, “As at July 3, the total number of healthcare workers who tested positive for COVID-19 in Nasarawa are 65 – public health facilities workers 51 and private health workers 14. “The local government distribution of healthcare workers infected with COVID-19 are Karu – 12, Ke...

      Lagos State Ministry of Tourism, Arts and Culture has concluded plans to hold its first entertainment show since the outbreak of COVID-19 pandemic in the State as part of creative innovations being considered by the Ministry in the face of the pandemic. The Commissioner for Tourism, Arts and Culture, Mrs. Uzamat AkinbiIe-Yusuf, who made the disclosure, said the virtual event will hold on Friday, 10th July, 2020, between 7pm and 11pm. She stated that the ‘Digital Lagos Party’ has been designed to thrill Lagosians with quality musical vibes from popular Nigeria Deejay, Jimmy Jatt alongside Deejay CONEL, stressing that free data would also be provided for participants to live-stream the event on Lagos State Government Facebook Page. While urging Lagosians and none Lagosians alike to join the live stream of the evening party, the Commissioner informed that the free data subscription would only be made available during the event for those that join the party. S...